 |
| Bencab's Street Subjects |
Enrique Carbajal, the sculptor better known as Sebastian, is one of Mexico’s leading artists, who supports an informal artist’s retreat on the grounds of his studio-fabrication center in Mexico City.
Bencab and Zakii are two of the best painterdraughtsmen in Southeast Asia. They visited with Sebastian for a whirlwind but productive two weeks, gained inspiration from the people, history, and landscape of Mexico and returned to their homelands armed with more grist for their visual mills…
 |
| Bencab - the coming of christianity |
In the case of Bencab, the results are extremely exciting. The painter has long been known for his "Sabel," the character of a deranged woman he once saw in the street scavenging around garbage cans, which has inspired his work since the 60s, but he had rather become a bit stuck with her. The new work remains faithful to his usual aesthetics but the new subjects are like a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to see the rest!
 |
| Zakii' 3 Men At Tepotzlan Market |
Malaysian artist Ahmad Zakii Anwar found inspiration in the weathered faces of Mexicans he observed at markets. Zakii has always treated his subjects with a universalized anonymity rather than through the cinematic lens of character exposition. His subjects are often obscured in a haze of smoke (as in his “Smokers” series), behind masks (as in his “Bali” series), or in near darkness as in Bones and Sinews, embodiments of a state of being rather than discrete physical beings themselves.
 |
| Zakii's Mounted Policemen at Alameda Park |
 |
| Sebastian |
Sebastián (born Enrique Carbajal on November 16, 1947) is considered the country's foremost living sculptor. His smaller scale work includes jewelry, sacristies, garden sculptures, and painting. However, he is most known for his monumental structures constructed in iron or concrete, which decorate cities throughout the world, from San Antonio, Texas to Osaka, Japan.
Sebastian monumental sculptures have become reference points and challenged the grayness of
urban landscapes. At city entrances, these works offer a rapturous welcome or fond farewell to
urban landscapes. At city entrances, these works offer a rapturous welcome or fond farewell to
visitors; they can be seen from afar, their striking colors complementing bold designs.
 |
| Sebastian |